For the sake of full transparency, I want to start this review by revealing that I've never seen the John Wayne version of True Grit nor have I read the novel by Charles Portis. I've come to the Coen Brothers take on True Grit with a completely open mind, and after the credits rolled, I must say I was blown away. This is hands down the best movie I've seen this year.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Jeff Bridges as Rooster Cogburn. In a nutshell, if you liked Bridges in Crazy Heart and think he deserved an Oscar for that role, then there's no point in betting against him come Oscar season because his performance as Rooster blows Crazy Heart out of the water. As Rooster, Bridges shows just the right balance of drunkenness, aggression, anger, humor, and ultimately compassion and self-sacrifice. On the outside, Rooster is just a wise-cracking drunk filled with plenty of fun one-liners, but as you peel back the layers, he's a very dynamic character and Bridges did a phenomenal job of balancing all the different aspects of Rooster's character. While Bridges and Steinfeld steal the show throughout the movie, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper (unrecognizable as Lucky Ned) round off an amazing ensemble cast.

I really appreciate how serious the Coen Brothers took making this film. Their signature quirk has been toned down significantly, and instead they worked on a masterful script that is equal parts funny, action-packed, dramatic, and emotionally intense. With a revenge movie like this, it's easy to cross the line into camp or melodrama. The Coen Brothers never do. I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie and found myself rooting for Mattie for the entire movie.

Aside from a brilliant script and actors, I also want to point out the beautiful cinematography. The Coen Brothers did an amazing job of using the camera to really make the Wild West come to life. While almost every shot in this film was amazing, the shots that I still remember since I saw the movie include the horses. There are a few close-ups of the horses throughout the movie that are not only awe-inspiring and help move the story along, but they're also some of the best filmed scenes I've seen in years.

True Grit has it all and has no flaws in my eyes. In fact, I'm even willing to say it's one of the Coen Brothers best movies to date. I would even go as far as saying it's the best Western to come out since 1992's Unforgiven. You owe it to yourself to see True Grit in the theatre.

Rating: FOUR BONES

Release Date: December 22nd, 2010
Rating: PG-13

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Barry Pepper, Bruce Green, and Dakin Matthews
Directors: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
Writers: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen